DR ‹ › Morocco's Mohamed El Morabity secured his second consecutive win at the 40th Marathon des Sables Legendary, claiming victory in stage two after already dominating the opening stage. The second stage, a 40.5 km race featuring 486 meters of elevation gain and checkpoints at kilometers 8, 15, 21, 28.1, and 33.7, started at 6:00 a.m. under relatively cool desert conditions before temperatures rose. The fast-paced course led runners to a new bivouac, reads a press release by organizers. In the men's race, Michaël Gras set an early strong pace in an attempt to challenge the El Morabity brothers. However, from the third checkpoint onward, Mohamed and Rachid El Morabity took control and launched a decisive move. Mohamed finished first in 2:58:26, followed by Rachid in 3:03:01, while Gras placed third in 3:03:46. In the women's race, France's Maryline Nakache again dominated, finishing first in 3:48:21 after also leading the opening stage (3:04:01). Agathe Teillet-Magot (4:10:31) and Desiree Linden (4:13:00) completed the podium, while Morocco's Aziza El Amrany, second in stage one, lost ground. The race, which brings together 1,500 runners from 52 nationalities over a total distance of around 270 km across demanding desert terrain, now heads into stage three ahead of the decisive 100 km fourth stage.
